Upcoming Classes & Events
2026 Spring Birding Classes
with Ashley Martens
Birding Class Descriptions
Beginning Birding - Love birds? Curious about learning to identify them without having to use another app? Learn basic identification skills you can use anywhere you go to connect with the birds around you.
Cavity Nesters - Knock! Knock! Learn about and delight in the woodpeckers, nuthatches, and others who excavate cavities and those who use them again.
Warblers - Learn about and delight in these wonderfully colorful little birds by focusing on plumage, habitat, songs and calls.
Sparrows - Learn about and delight in these little brown birds’ subtle beauty and differences by focusing on plumage, habitat, and songs and calls.
Birding By Ear - Cultivate presence and listening skills. Learn a variety of techniques to help you identify the bird soundscapes around you.
Bird Kinship - Settle into a deeper relationship with birds in this session. We’ll learn the ancient and wise skill of listening for “Bird Language” and spend time appreciating birds without (necessarily) having to identify them. You’ll develop a sensitive, grounding, and relaxing practice to take with you anywhere you go.
"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all…"
Emily Dickinson
Community FreeDance!
Monthly on Saturdays 5:30-6:30pm
February 28, March 28, & April 18
$5 at Ekam Yoga Studio
Join us for a barefoot, free-dance session with awesome people. No expectations or choreography, just a safe space and great rhythms. We'll open with a theme and then let ourselves be seduced by the music. Shake, sway, play, get unstuck, and settle so you can step back out into this wild world with more clarity and ease. Everyone is welcome!
"The fastest, cleanest, most joyful way to break out of your own box is by dancing.”
Gabrielle Roth
Old-Growth Forest Features Guided Hike
Join Ashley to learn about the diverse & delightful features that characterize an “old-growth forest,” from mossy- microclimates to cavity-filled snags.
June 23rd 5:30pm
Grotto Falls Trail, Hyalite Canyon, Bozeman
Limited to 12 people.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? I’d be happy to guide a custom trip for your group! Available for all experience levels and ages.
Sign up for private guided Birding, Botanizing, and Wild Tea Trips
Coming Soon
Weekly Public & Private Creekside Yoga at Bodhi Farms - May through October
Deep Nature Connection Series — Dates TBA
REGISTRATION OPEN NOW!: Wild Tea Field Day at Jack Creek Preserve — July 11th
Past Events
Nourish 1/2 Day Retreat at Bodhi Farms - FULL
Restore — Relax — Refresh
Sunday, September 14th 3-5:30pm
Restorative yoga
Relaxing mindfulness in nature practices
Refreshing dip in the creek (toes or whole body!).
Sliding Scale: $50-75
Outside of Big Sky
Spend the day birding with me at the private preserve between Big Sky, Ennis, and the Spanish Peaks.
Wonders of Spring:
Bird migration, song, and breeding at MSU.
Tuesdays May 20-June 10 + field trip.
Course is currently full.
Rise & Shine Creekside Yoga
Fridays at 10am at the serene shala at Bodhi Farms.
May-Oct 2025
Mindful Birding ½ Day Retreat
Sun., Oct. 6th 3-5:30pm at Bodhi Farms
with Naturalist, Birder, Yoga & Mindfulness Instructor Ashley Martens
“Mindful Birding” is a practice combining bird observation and mindfulness techniquesthat results in a heightened awareness of nature and self. The intention is slowing down and noticing,using birds as our guides, instead of labeling or identifying. We’ll combine walking, guided meditations, sitspot, journaling, and reflecting around the fire.
Cost: Sliding Scale $40-80
How to Be a Birder
5-part class offered through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at MSU starts September 18th.
Birdwatching is accessible, joyful and good for your health! Birds are everywhere - you can bird from a seat by a window in your home or in the remote reaches of Yellowstone. Don't know how to start? Learn how to be a birder in this introductory class, including basic bird identification and choosing and using the tools that support your birding experience.
21-Day Sit Spot Practice
May 31-June 21, 2024
We will meet as a group on May 31 & June 21 and you will practice on your own June 1-21.
This practice will deepen your connections with nature, self, and community.
You will notice things you never noticed before.
Your senses will expand.
You will feel more grounded and calm.
In-person or Virtual Options
Good Company: Exploring Trees & Forests
with Gallatin Valley Earth Day & Sacajawea Audubon Society
In each class we'll examine the ecology and lifestyle of these trees, learn how to identify them and tell them apart from other trees, understand their edible and medicinal values, and their roles in ecosystems.
Riparian Forests - Fri, April 12 or Sun, April 14 2-4pm at Gardner Park w/ Ashley Martens
$30/class
December 16
Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Join people around the world counting birds for conservation!
I lead a count on foot on the private Sawmill Rd and at Rocky Creek Farms from mid-morning to early afternoon. Come for an hour or three.
All are welcome. No experience necessary!
After party to tally count data will happen that evening.
Contact me via email for details, questions, and to join.
Email to Secure Your Spot: truenatureed@gmail.com
December 23
Winter Solstice Ceremony
oin us to welcome the returning of the light in a circle of nature-loving people!
Save the Date: Saturday, December 23rd
Outdoors in Kelly Canyon, we will be walking up to 1/2 mile
Time: midday, TBA
Email to Join the Circle: truenatureed@gmail.com
Winter Tracking and Birdwatching
6-week course for middle grade kids at
Wild Wonders Farm School.
Stay tuned.
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